Vehicle for repairing road surfaces

Abstract

A vehicle for repairing a damaged road surface by filling depressions within the road surface with a filling material has, in a direction of travel, a heating and scraping unit for removing excess road surface material from the road surface. It further has a depositing device for a filling material. A first dynamic compacting device is arranged downstream of depositing device for compacting the filling material to a level higher than a level of an adjacent undamaged area of the road surface. A doctor blade unit is connected to the depositing device so as to act downstream of the first dynamic compacting device onto the filling material for removing excess filling material. The doctor blade unit pivots horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel. The doctor blade unit is vertically adjustable relative to the first dynamic compacting device and the depositing device. A second dynamic compacting device is arranged downstream of the doctor blade unit.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. A vehicle for repairing a damaged road surface by filling depressions within the road surface with a filling material; said vehicle, in a direction of travel, comprising: a heating and scraping unit for removing excess road surface material from the road surface;   a depositing device for a filling material;   a first dynamic compacting device arranged downstream of said depositing device for compacting the filling material to a level higher than a level of an adjacent undamaged area of the road surface;   a doctor blade unit connected to said depositing device so as to act downstream of said first dynamic compacting device onto the filling material for removing excess filling material, said doctor blade unit reciprocating horizontally in a direction perpendicular to said direction of travel;   said doctor blade unit being vertically adjustable relative to said first dynamic compacting device and said depositing device;   a second dynamic compacting device arranged downstream of said doctor blade unit.   
     
     
       2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said depositing device has a working chamber with a rear wall, delimiting said depositing device relative to said second dynamic compacting device, and with sidewalls, said doctor blade unit connected to said rear wall and said rear wall connected to said sidewalls so as to be vertically adjustable such that a gap between the undamaged road surface and a lower edge of said doctor blade unit is adjustable. 
     
     
       3. A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a working width of said second compacting device is identical to a working width plus a reciprocating range of said doctor blade unit. 
     
     
       4. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said second dynamic compacting device has a vibration generating system adapted to exert high-frequency compressive stress and shearing stress onto the filling material while maintaining constant contact with the road surface. 
     
     
       5. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said second dynamic compacting device is a vibratory roller. 
     
     
       6. A vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said vibratory roller comprises a drive motor so as to be self-propelling and wherein said drive motor further drives said entire vehicle. 
     
     
       7. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said doctor blade unit and said second dynamic compacting device are spaced at a minimal distance from one another. 
     
     
       8. A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said second dynamic compacting device further comprises a travel sensor for detecting a vertical displacement between the damaged road surface and a repaired road surface downstream of said second dynamic compacting device, said vehicle further comprising a control unit for controlling a vertical position of said doctor blade at said depositing device, said control unit comprising: a transducer for sending a first signal as a nominal value;   a comparator connected to said transducer and to said travel sensor;   said comparator comparing said nominal value to a second signal to give a comparison value;   an amplifier, connected to said comparator, for amplifying said comparison value;   a control member, connected to said amplifier, for positioning, when said comparison value surpasses a preset threshold, said doctor blade unit as a function of said comparison value;   wherein said second signal is an arithmetic mean of said vertical displacements.   
     
     
       9. A vehicle according to claim 8, wherein: said second dynamic compacting device is a vibratory roller with an axis of rotation;   said travel sensor comprises two sensing elements each comprising a fastener, wherein said sensing elements are connected with said fasteners to opposite ends of said vibratory roller on said axis of rotation so as to extend perpendicularly to the road surface.   
     
     
       10. A method for operating a vehicle for repairing a damaged road surface by filling depressions within the road surface with a filling material; said vehicle, in a direction of travel, comprising: a heating and scraping unit for removing excess road surface material from the road surface; a depositing device for a filling material; a first dynamic compacting device arranged downstream of said depositing device for compacting the filling material to a level higher than a level of an adjacent undamaged area of the road surface; a doctor blade unit connected to said depositing device so as to act downstream of said dynamic compacting device onto the filling material for removing excess filling material, said doctor blade unit reciprocating horizontally in a direction perpendicular to said direction of travel; said doctor blade unit vertically adjustable relative to said dynamic compacting device and said depositing device; a second dynamic compacting device arranged downstream of said doctor blade unit; said method comprising the step of: controlling a vertical position of said doctor blade unit such that the filling material compacted by said first compacting device is removed by said doctor blade unit only to a first level above a second level, resulting as an actual road surface level downstream of said second dynamic compacting device, that the amount of filling material, defined by the difference between said first and said second level, is sufficient to fill air pockets during compacting with said second dynamic compacting device.   
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of: continuously measuring a vertical difference between the damaged road surface and the repaired road surface after compacting with said second dynamic compacting device;   comparing the vertical difference to a preset nominal value to give a comparison value;   adjusting the vertical position of said doctor blade unit as a function of said comparison value in order to match said vertical difference to said nominal value.